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My Favourite Summer Salad

Darcy L. HooverLeave a comment

When I was in my early 20s I worked as a waitress at a small bistro run by a couple from Switzerland. The chef made a salad for the lunch menu that I really loved. Years later I was struggling to think of a tasty, light summer meal and it came back to me. It has turned out to be a family favourite.

I put it in a pita or wrap to make a good hand-held picnic food.

Jurg’s Sweet and Spicy Thai Chicken Caesar Salad

  • Diced chicken
  • Soft pitas (or some other flat bread to wrap the salad in)
  • Chopped romaine lettuce
  • Parmesan cheese
  • Thai sauce (I use Asian Family Thai Sweet Chili Sauce)
  • Caesar salad dressing
  1. Saute the diced chicken in the Thai sauce. Don’t add the sauce at the end or you don’t get caramelization and that boosts the flavour.
  2. Make up a quick Caesar salad.
  3. Place some salad in the flat bread, spoon cooked chicken over it, sprinkle on parmesan flakes. 

VOILA! Dinner is served.

Vegan and Vegetarian – it’s as easy as Couscous

Darcy L. HooverLeave a comment

For many people grilling a steak is the height of culinary mastery. I’m not a fan of beef myself. The way I feel about meat is how others feel about veggies. My theory is this is because so few of us know how to cook with them.

2014-08-16 14.32.09Over my adult years I’ve moved away from the meat-centric diet I grew up with. Meat is still part of my meals but rarely centre stage. I make the protein round it out the meal, rather than scrambling to round out a meat focused dinner with some humdrum greenery. In fact, in some of my favourite meals, meat has disappeared all together.

This is my number one challenge with my step sons. Even my hubby, who has a broader palate, maintains a pretty long list of veggies he doesn’t eat. In both cases it’s because they didn’t grow up with vegetables as integral, flavour contributing parts of the meal. My son, on the other hand, has been raised with vegetables given the care and attention they deserve, and so has a palate inclined toward them.

Cooking for the full family can be a very frustrating, even depressing, endeavor for me. If I cook what my step sons want neither my son or I enjoy it. If I cook the way my son and I prefer the other boys are not happy.

It’s for this reason that I am giddy at the prospect of my son’s new girlfriend coming for a visit. She’s a vegan. I am going to love cooking for her.

Now, I am not a vegan. I like my eggs and my cheese. However, I can cook several very delicious vegan meals.

This is one of my son’s most requested. Easy peasy, tasty pleasing.

Roasted Tomato and Spinach Coucous

spinach-coucousIngredients: One small onion, two celery stalks, one medium carrot, one can of fire roasted tomatoes, one jar of roasted peppers, one clove of garlic, fresh spinach, one litre vegetable stock, olive oil, two cups couscous, salt and pepper to taste.

  1. Dice the onion, celery and carrot.
  2. Saute in olive oil until they are tender.
  3. Deglaze the pan with a bit of stock, then pour it all in.
  4. Add finely minced garlic.
  5. Add chopped roasted peppers and roasted tomatoes.
  6. Bring to a simmer.
  7. Add coucous.
  8. Stir. Add the spinach.
  9. Cover.
  10. Turn off heat and let sit until the coucous is fluffy.

Voilà. A delicious dish fit for a vegan and good enough for the rest of us too.